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Do you:
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Work long hours?
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Have a stressful job?
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Drink more than the Government recommended amount of alcohol per week?
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Eat fast foods on the go?
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Eat highly processed foods?
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Take very little exercise?
If you answer yes to at least one of these questions then chances are that you will not be taking in the ideal amount of ‘good’ dietary fats which help maintain healthy body functions. The body uses the Fatty Acids contained in seeds, nuts and the oils extracted from them in a wide variety of ways including:
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As an energy source
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As flexible building materials for cell structure
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As pre-cursors in the synthesis of important regulatory hormones
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In the development of higher cognitive functions, especially in infants.
Whilst the body can make some of the fatty acids we need through internal metabolism, there are some which must be taken in as part of dietary intake and without which, certain deficiency symptoms can occur. These Fatty Acids are known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).
There are two main EFAs namely Linoleic Acid (LA) and alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA) , the former being found in seed oils such as Sunflower and Safflower, the latter being found in Flax , Camelina and also Walnuts.
LA and ALA are the starting materials which the body converts into the more complex hormone-like compounds known as Prostaglandins which in turn regulate a number of the body’s key metabolic functions (for more information please read the product dossier on Nor Omega PC 369)
However, a stressful life, too much of the wrong food ,more than the odd glass of wine as well as an inherent metabolic disorder can affect the body’s ability to convert these EFAs into these more complex and highly functional compounds and this can lead to deficiencies which can manifest themselves in a number of ways including:
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poor skin condition and slow tissue regeneration
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poor attention span and other high end cognitive functions
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hormonal imbalances , especially in women during menstruation
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arthritic and other inflammatory disorders
By changing your diet to include foods rich in EFAs and by using oils which are rich in both EFAs and the more active Fatty Acids should help you get back on track. It’s never too late to change!
Please see our section on Lipids for Nutrition for more product information.
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